Tuesday, September 21, 2010

BMW 5 Series Full Hybrid to Be Available Next Year; Hybridization of Further Series to Come


It hardly seems worthy of BMW's distinctively swirly camouflage – after all, we pretty much know exactly what it will look like after seeing the latest 5 Series sedan a number of times and even gazing at the ActiveHybrid Concept from the Geneva Motor Show – but here we are with an image gallery of Bay Em Vay's 5 Series Hybrid under its own power anyway.

Assuming that the production car will get a similar drivetrain to what was shown off in the aforementioned concept, we can expect to see a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine mated up to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a 40-kilowatt electric motor sandwiched between.

We can't say for certain what kind of fuel mileage this combination would provide (best guess would be about a 20 percent improvement), but we do know that a lithium ion battery pack should be nestled right near the rear axle for optimum weight distribution. That pack not only allows the car to operate on electric power, it also provides short bursts of added performance when called upon.

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